*

‘Preliminary report from the pathologist suggests death was caused by two or three heavy blows to the side of the head with a hard, smooth object. Task Force will commence a search for the weapon this morning.’

All eyes in the room were fixed on the photograph of the crime scene which had been projected on to the screen behind Tailby. The full-length shot of the body lying in the undergrowth changed to a closer view of the head. The colour of Laura Vernon's hair looked garish and unnatural in the photograph, and the dark, matted bloodstains were not easy to make out. Her red T-shirt made the accuracy of the colour balance even more doubtful.

‘First indications, based on temperature of the body and the stage of development of fly larvae found in the eyes, mouth and vulva, suggest Laura Vernon was killed within a couple of hours either side of the first report that she was missing — i.e. eight o'clock Saturday evening. As you know, we already have one early report that Laura was seen talking to a young man at about six-fifteen on a footpath in the scrubland just a few yards from her own back garden. This is some distance from where she was found, which was in the wooded area called the Baulk. Therefore we need to re-trace that final journey. House-to-house teams will concentrate on recording movements of anyone in and around the Baulk at about the time. Including, of course, any sightings of Laura Vernon herself.’

The picture changed to the lower half of Laura's body. Black denims were pulled down to her knees, showing the top edge of a pair of blue pants, and several inches of deathly white flesh above and below the dark bush of hair.

As you see, Laura's clothing was disturbed. However, subject to the full postmortem, which will be carried out later this morning, the pathologist's initial view is that there is no evidence that any sexual assault took place, either before or after the victim's death. There is one possible exception to that.’

Tailby nodded, and the picture changed again, the camera zooming in to a small area near the top of the dead girl's right thigh. The assembled officers frowned and peered closer. A discolouration of the skin could be seen, some sort of bruising, but bearing an oddly regular shape.

‘Mrs Van Doon,' said Tailby, 'believes this injury probably occurred around the time of death.’

The room stirred uneasily. Some of the officers were sweating, and the atmosphere was becoming humid.

‘I know you're all anxious to get started,' said Tailby, sensing the restlessness. 'DI Hitchens will give you your action forms very shortly. Bear with me for a few more minutes.’

The picture disappeared from the wall behind the DCI, and some in the room breathed a sigh of relief. 'First of all, we are urgently enquiring into the whereabouts of one Lee Sherratt, aged twenty, recently employed as a gardener at the Mount. Details are in your files. But we also want to know about any other boyfriends Laura Vernon may have had a relationship with. Particularly those her parents might not have been aware of.’

Are we assuming the family are in the clear, sir?' asked DS Rennie.

‘We never assume, Rennie,' said the DCI with a little smile. 'It makes an "ASS" out of "U" and "ME".’

Rennie paused for a moment, puzzled. Then someone sniggered, and he realized he had been put down.

‘Thank you, sir,' he said.

‘Both Graham and Charlotte Vernon will, of course, be interviewed again. There is also a brother, I believe, away at university. Otherwise, we are told that Laura Vernon did not mix much with people in the village of Moorhay. This is what the parents tell us, at least. If that isn't the case, it will be your job to find out. Meanwhile, the usual checks on all our known sex offenders are being carried out. We have DI Armstrong here from B Division, who will be coordinating that aspect of the enquiry.’

The chief inspector indicated a female officer to one side of the room. She was rather overweight and the grey suit she was wearing didn't fit too well around her shoulders. Her dark hair was collar-length and cut very straight.

‘Some of you may know that DI Armstrong has been working on the team investigating the death of Susan Edson near Buxton five weeks ago. Some of this ground has already been covered in B Division in the last few weeks, so we are avoiding duplication of effort.’

Some of the officers shifted uneasily and looked sideways at each other. Tailby seemed to sense it, and responded. 'For public consumption, there must be no suggestion of a link between these two cases. I do not want to hear the words "serial killer" mentioned by any member of this team or see them appearing in the press.’

He looked to one side, glaring at a civilian wearing a suit, a colourful tie and a pair of large, blue-framed spectacles. Fry pegged him as one of the force's press officers, whose job it was to deflect press attention and distribute as little information about the case as possible.

All these lines of enquiry will take time, of course,' said Tailby. 'And I don't need to remind you that the first hours are important.’

Diane Fry was busy studying DI Armstrong when Ben Cooper tentatively put his hand up again. Tailby regarded him with something like pity.

‘Yes, Cooper?'

‘Harry Dickinson, sir. The gentleman who found the trainer.’

Ah, the old bloke,' said someone, breaking the tension.

‘With the dog,' said someone else.

‘Will he be interviewed again, sir?’

Fry wondered for a moment whether Cooper had seen her transcript of the first interview with Harry Dickinson and was taking the mickey out of the DCI. But Tailby obviously decided that it wasn't Cooper's style or intention.

‘Harry Dickinson is seventy-eight years old,' he said. 'Yes, sir,' said Cooper. 'But we're not assuming that his age rules him out. Are we, sir?'

‘Of course not,' said Tailby. 'We assume nothing.’

There was a general shuffling of feet and scraping of chair legs. Fry watched a female detective turn round to ask Ben Cooper if he was all right. She looked concerned, but he only nodded, keeping his eyes on the chief inspector. Fry noticed that there was a scuff mark on Cooper's leather jacket and his tie needed straightening. He was really untidy, and it made him look disorganized. No way was he as perfect as everyone said he was.

‘One more thing I want to emphasize before you go,' said Tailby, raising his voice over the noise. 'Again,. this is in your files, but keep it to the forefront of your minds, all of you. DC Cooper has mentioned the trainer found by Mr Dickinson and his dog, the find which led us to the body a short distance away. But there is one fact which could be vital to the enquiry. One thing which could lead to an early conclusion, if we are thorough with our routines — and if we get a little bit of luck. I want you to remember, all of you, that Laura Vernon's second trainer is missing.’

*

'All right. DC Fry, here, please.’

Fry stepped briskly towards Hitchens, where he leaned casually against the wall, dangling a leg over the edge of a desk. He had a stack of action forms in his hand, and Fry knew she was about to be allocated to an enquiry team.

‘You're the new girl around here, Diane. So we're going to team you up with Ben Cooper for a while. He knows the area like the back of his hand.'

‘So I've heard.'

‘Well, we don't want you going and getting lost on the moors, do we, Fry? We'd have to send the dogs out again.’

Fry tried a smile and hoped it was convincing. 'I'm sure we'll work well together.’

Hitchens studied her. 'You'll get on all right,' he said.

‘It's OK.'

‘Right. DC Cooper! Where's Ben Cooper gone?'

‘He had to take an urgent phone call, sir,' said another detective. 'In the CID room.'